'I stopped Man United, now it's Malaysia' says Vietnam captain
KUALA LUMPUR: Vietnam captain Do Duy Manh knows exactly what awaits him and his teammates when they face Harimau Malaya in Tuesday's Asian Cup Group F qualifier at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil — a deafening roar from the home crowd.
The 28-year-old centre-back is no stranger to the Bukit Jalil cauldron, having recently played there in the Maybank Challenge Cup, where he helped the Asean All-Stars stun Manchester United 1-0.
He also featured in the pulsating first leg of the 2018 Asean Cup final, where Malaysia fought back to draw 2-2 before Vietnam clinched the title with a 1-0 win in Hanoi to seal a 3-2 aggregate victory.
"My first game here was the 2018 Asean Cup final. The second was just 12 days ago, against Manchester United. And now, tomorrow's match, I think it will be a very exciting game," said Duy Manh at Monday's pre-match press conference in Bukit Jalil.
"We'll be playing in a big stadium, under pressure from a large Malaysian crowd. My teammates and I will do our best to handle that pressure. We must stay focused for the full 90 minutes and follow the coach's instructions."
Malaysia have struggled against Vietnam in recent years, losing seven and drawing one in their last eight meetings, with their most recent win dating back to 2014.
But Duy Manh warned that this isn't the same Malaysian side they're used to facing.
"It's not the same as in 2018. Malaysia have a new coach and a new squad. From what we know, there are around 17 to 18 new players, and some of them play abroad."
"It won't be an easy game. But we have our own goals, and we'll try our best to achieve them. We could lose, we could draw, or we could win, but personally, I'm just focused on the match."
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